Lily&James
by HPlove7
Summary: This is the story of lily and James, of how they had Harry, and of Harry's first year, leading up to the attack on their house by voldemort.
1. The Beginning of the End

Lily potter sat on the couch in her home in Godric's Hollow. She had been worrying for a long time about what their futures held, and she wanted to talk about it with her husband. James Potter, the love of her life, sat at her feet, playing a game of exploding snaps with himself.

Every time she tried to bring the subject up, James would laugh it off. His attitude was carefree, and she knew that, but she really needed him to be serious.

"James," said Lily. "We really need to talk about what's going on."

"Lily, there's nothing to worry about," replied James.

"Seriously James. Voldemort has been growing stronger. He's been torturing our friends. Members of the order! I'm so afraid we're going to be next."

"Lily, love. Let's not worry about that now. Let's talk about something happier." James said.

"Like what?" Lily asked, intrigued.

"I want to have a baby with you love." James sighed.

Lily, too stunned to replied, just sat there. Leave it to James to change the subject. Even if it was really something she wanted to discuss. She had wanted this since she knew it would be him standing across from her at the alter. She just never had the courage to bring it up.

"Love?" asked James, worried.

"I…I…I'm just surprised. But I want to have a baby, so much." Said lily, still shocked.

"YES!" shouted James.

[One week later]

"JAMES!" shouted Lily.

James, frantic, ran downstairs. "What's happened?"

Lily laughed, "nothing, love, nothing. I have news."

James paused, wondering what exactly she could tell him he didn't already know.

"I'M PREGNANT!" she shouted.

James, happier than he had ever been, excluding the time lily agreed to marry him, hugged her and whirled her around.

"So? What now?" asked lily, pleased at James's reaction.

"Lets talk names." Stated James. He sat them down on the sofa and looked into lily's eyes. He could tell she was really happy, he was too.

"I want something sophisticated, but suiting. Nothing that will get it teased at school." Noted lily.

"Right," agreed James. "so like Farnsworth, or Poppington."

Lily slapped him across the arm. "This is serious James; this is going to be another human beings name. How would you like it if your parents named you that?"

"I'd feel like a right prat, that's how I would feel," laughed James. "So what are your ideas?"

"I think for a girl I'd like Emily or Fiona. But for a boy I'd like Harold or Samuel."

"I agree with the girls names love, but I think for a little boy we should name him Harry. It's clean and… as you say 'sophisticated,'" James said.

"Harry," lily tried out. She liked the sound of it. She imagined carrying around a little boy with James's hair. Unruly and black as night. She could see it, and she couldn't wait.

"I love it." Lily concluded.

"Ahh, good." Said James.

So they lay on the couch together, talking into the night about their future little monster. Lily couldn't decide if she wanted a boy or a girl. She would be happy with both of course, but she really wanted a little boy. Someone to remind her of James, other than James. As much as she loved him, he was a handful.

Months into her pregnancy, lily started to look huge. James would tease her constantly. Fortunately for him, her mood swings weren't terrible. Yet. They enjoyed the constant presence in their home, even if it was still in lily's stomach.

Three weeks before her due date, lily woke in the middle of the night. She reached over to the other side of the bed. It was empty. She panicked, and then remembered that it was the full moon tonight. James was with his friends helping Remus through his transformations. She needed him now, she was in labor.


	2. The Birth of a Legend

Lily was panicking. How was she going to do this without James? If there was only a way to get a hold of him!

"ARGHHH!" Lily screamed. Nobody told her it was going to be like this. Where were the warnings? Did her friends really think it was all rainbows and butterflies?

"What can I do? James, come on. Just come home already…" Lily, still freaking out, paced the room in front of her bed.

"I'll just go to the hospital, and have someone go and find James. No, no. That could be dangerous. Stupid, stupid animagus!"

Lily, deciding that she couldn't hold her little baby in any longer, apparated to St. Mungo's. When she got there she found James, Sirius, Remus and Peter waiting near the golden statue. James rushed over and helped her into a wheelchair.

"James? How did you know I would be here?" Lily asked, incredulous.

"Let's just call it a fathers intuition, love." James laughed, along with his friends.

A healer from St. Mungo's came over and walked Lily and James to the room where Lily would give birth.

"You're going to be fine dear. It will all be worth it in the end, just remember that won't you?"

"Sure sure." Replied Lily, in too much pain to care.

While Lily and James were in the room, Sirius and the others waited outside.

"I hope it's a boy. Girls have no sense of adventure." Said a thoughtful Sirius. "I need this kid to like me, and I know for a fact a little girl won't."

"That's the truth." Remarked Remus. "Remember how long it took Lily to come around? It wasn't until she and James had been together for weeks that she started to accept you."

"Bloody hell! She was a stubborn one, wasn't she? But those were the days, let me tell you. I miss Hogwarts." Replied Sirius, now daydreaming about his many pranks at the finest school for young witches and wizards.

"Oi, Sirius!" yelled Remus. "Lily and James want you in the birthing room!"

Sirius, snapping out of his wonderful daydream, hopped up and practically apparated into the other room. Panicking, he thought something was wrong. But when he got in, he saw his best friend and his wife smiling at him. What he was most interested in was the little baby in Lily's arms. He looked just like James, but he had Lily's green eyes.

"Wow James, you sure know how to make 'em, eh?" Laughed Sirius. He was more pleased than he thought he would be. He had a new little friend to play with, and teach to be a troublemaker just like he and his father.

"Sirius, mate, we have something we'd like to ask you." Said James, looking serious.

"Sure James, what's up?" replied Sirius.

"We'd like you to be Harry's godfather."

"Who the bloody hell is Harry?" Sirius asked, thoroughly confused.

"Our son, mate. The whole reason we're in this godforsaken institution." Laughed James. Sometimes Sirius could be as thick as his hair.

"Me? A godfather? Of course, mate! It would be my honor!" Sirius, practically jumping out of his shoes, replied.

Sirius couldn't believe his luck. James, his best friend in the entire world, wanted him to play a role in his offsprings life.

"Sirius," said lily, tentatively. "There's one more thing."

"What?" replied Sirius, carefully.

"If something happens to James and I, we want you to be the one to raise Harry. You'll be good for him, and we trust you above anyone else."

"Nothing is going to happen, mates." Said Sirius. "We have no intel that Voldemort is going after the two of you."

"Just in case, mate, I need your word." Said James.

"I promise mate, if anything happens to you, this kid will be in good hands." Promised Sirius.

Little did he know, that after little Harry was born, a prophecy was told. This prophecy was setting plans into action that would counteract Sirius Black's promise to his best friend.


	3. A Hero is Born

Note: I am not J.K. Rowling, no copyright intended

A few days after the birth of Harry James Potter, Lily and James finally got to go home. Walking into the house for the first time since having a baby, Lily noticed the feeling was different, like everything was complete.

"See Harry? This is the living area, and through there? That's the kitchen" Lily cooed in her baby voice.

"I'm going to need to get used to that," said James.

"Get used to what?" asked Lily.

"Your new voice!" laughed James. He didn't really find it annoying, he just liked to gives her a hard time. Sirius practically took the mickey out of him when he walked in on James using it. James thought back to that day. It was the day after Harry's birthday, the beginning of August. It seemed like so long ago, even though it was only a few days. And it seemed like yesterday that James told Lily he wanted a baby, and now they had a son. It's amazing, he thought to himself, how quickly things can change.

"James. JAMES!" Shouted Lily.

"What what?" panicked James, spinning in circles looking all over the room.

"Relax love, you were daydreaming again. You didn't hear a word I said did you?" scolded Lily, playfully.

"Ah sorry Lil, I was thinking about these past few days." He walked over to her and kissed her, then gently lifted the little bundle of joy from her arms. Looking into her beautiful green eyes he said, "Lily, thank you for this. Thank you for our son. I love you, more than anything"

"James," whispered Lily, with tears welling in her eyes. "Thank _you_. This is going to be the happiest time of our lives, I can feel it. I love you." And she could feel it, the anticipation, the fear, but also the excitement for what was to come. She had no idea how to raise a baby, but she knew that she and James would be able to do it, together. Still, through these new feelings, the old wouldn't fade. She still had a feeling in her gut that things were about to happen, bad things. She knew what was happening in the outside world, and she knew it was only a matter of time before Voldemort came after them. They had defied him several times already, and Voldemort knew they were powerful wizards. If they wouldn't join him, he wouldn't allow them to live. But thankfully, these feelings were dimmer than they had been, for her son, her beautiful Harry, was the center of her world, and the focus of all her attention.

Looking at the two men in her lives, seeing how James looks at Harry with pure love, made her the happiest person in the world, and for the time being, she could forget about everything else. They walked upstairs in silence, just taking in the moment. James walked through the door on the left, and Lily followed. The windows faced the street, the street lights illuminating the sidewalks and neighboring houses. The nursery was newly decorated, and this was the first time Lily had seen it finished. James had come home yesterday to put the finishing touches on it. It was perfect. They both laid Harry in his crib and kissed him goodnight. The green eyed, black haired boy grabbed the blanket with his tiny fists, rolled over and fell right asleep.


	4. Concealment is a Charm

James was having a harder time than Lily was. Harry still isn't sleeping through the night. Granted, he is only two months old, but James still thought that he should be able to sleep for more than four hours at a time.

Lily was having a hard time as well. The lack of sleep was making her short tempered and moody. She hadn't seen her friends for more than a few minutes at a time. They tried to stop by when they could, but then Harry would start crying, and their time was cut short. Her saving grace was her friend Alice. She and her husband Frank Longbottom had had a baby boy around the same time that Harry was born. They talked and whined and complained to each other about the cons of motherhood. They also talked about the joys. Alice loved her son Neville as much as Lily loved Harry. And the both were excited to watch their boys grow up, and attend Hogwarts together. They would talk and talk about the boys' future.

"Hello?" said James into the receiver of the phone. Lily had installed it and taught him how to use it. James had to admit it was convenient. Especially because Sirius had one too.

"James? Its Sirius mate, I'm coming over." Sirius sounded grave, and James immediately knew something was wrong.

"Sirius, what's happening?" asked James.

"I'll tell you when I get there. I'm going to apparate in a minute." And then the phone clicked as Sirius hung up.

Moments later there was a knock at the door, and without waiting for an answer, Siruis burst into the Potter household. He walked past James and a thoroughly confused Lily and into the kitchen. He sat down and waited to speak until Lily and James had sat down as well.

"Padfoot, what the bloody hell is going on?" said James.

"It's terrible," choked Siruis. "Frank and Alice, they're in St. Mungo's"

"For what?" said a frantic Lily. "What happened to them?"

"A few of the Death Eaters, Bellatrix and Rodolphus and a few others, they captured Frank and Alice. They did the Cruciatus curse on them, they wanted information on the order. From what we've heard they didn't give anything up, and the Death Eaters have been caught. They're awaiting their trial in Azkaban." Finished Sirius.

"So..so..what about Frank..and Alice?" asked Lily, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.

"They're…well, Lily, they're…they're insane. There is no other way to describe what has happened to them. They were tortured to insanity, and the healers at St. Mungo's don't believe they will recover." Siruis too was crying. The situation had progressed, none of them knew it had gotten so bad. James and Lily were too shocked to speak. They didn't know what to say. Their friends, part of the order, gone.

"On Voldemort's orders?" James asked Sirius sharply. Sirius only nodded. There wasn't anything else to say. The three of them sat in silence at the kitchen table until a soft cry came from upstairs. Only then did Lily stand up and walk quietly to comfort her son. While she held him she thought of Neville, poor Neville, who will never get to know his parents. Neville who will be raised by his grandmother probably; she was a strong woman and would surely step up to help her grandson. Lily heard a knock on the door. She put a now sleeping Harry back in his crib and went to see who was there.

Albus Dumbledore stood in their living room, his robes long and flowing, and the color of sapphires. Lily was relieved to see him, but also wary, for this could only mean he had important news.

"Dumbledore" breathed James, as he rushed forward to greet the old wizard.

"James, though these times are filled with trouble, it is always good to see you. Ah, Sirius here as well. Good good, that will make these proceedings much easier. And beautiful Lily, come here my dear." He said.

And Lily walked over to Dumbledore and he embraced her, only for a moment, but it was enough. Lily felt calmer and safer in that moment.

"Dumbledore," she started. "Come sit, and tell us what is happening. We've barely been out of the house since Harry was born."

"Ah and how is Harry?" Dumbledore inquired. "I'm terribly sorry I haven't been by sooner to see him."

"He is doing well, still not sleeping through the night, but still, he is a joy to have around." Said James, smiling slightly for the first time all night.

"Splendid!" said Dumbledore. "But now we must turn to more dire topics. I am sure you have heard, from Sirius no doubt, of what has happened to Frank and Alice Longbottom. It is terrible, truly a loss to the wizarding community."

"Dumbledore, what does this mean?" Asked James.

"It means, without a doubt, that Voldemort has finally decided that no one from the order will join him, and in turn, he has decided the world would be better without its members." Dumbledore reflects. "And that is why I am intruding in your home this evening. We have intelligence that Voldemort plans to come after the two of you next." His piercing eyes look into both James and Lily's.

Lily gasps, and James lunges off his place on the armchair and into the space next to Lily on the couch. He puts his arm around her as she hides her face in his chest. He can feel her shaking.

"How can you be sure, Dumbledore?" Says Sirius, this is news to him as well. How can his best friends be the target of the most dangerous Wizard? He knew it would come, but he never thought it would be like this, not now, not so soon after Harry was born. His godson, he promised Harry and himself that he would do everything in his power to keep Lily and James safe.

"We are sure, Sirius, and that should be enough for you. If you wish to know more we can arrange to talk at a later time. But for now we must take immediate action into your protection."

"What do you suggest?" James asked, quietly. His wife still shaking in his arms, he could feel her tears soaking through his shirt.

"I would suggest a Fedilius Charm, and it would be an honor to act as your secret keeper."

"No." said Sirius. "I want to do it."

Both Lily and James looked up at their best friend, and saw the determination in his eyes. Before the stroke of midnight, the Potters were concealed from the world, from Godric's Hollow, and from Voldemort himself.


End file.
